The Seaver Endowment
The Seaver Endowment is a private foundation based in Sierra Madre, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including higher education, legal advocacy, education, health services, and reading.
The Seaver Endowment at a glance
In short: The Seaver Endowment gave $332K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in California. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $331,500
- -10.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- -24.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,068
- +17.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $3,870,890
- +0.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (3 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (52% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Seaver Endowment
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1210, Sierra Madre, CA 91025-4210
Phone: (213) 689-0150
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Seaver Endowment funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Pomona College ($62K). Together the top 10 received $297K.
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 117 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in California (52%), the District of Columbia (18%), New York (10%), Pennsylvania (9%), and Virginia (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Seaver Endowment open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 22 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 132% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $244K (2021) to $371K (2023). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $332K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pomona College Claremont, CA | To Support Higher Education | $62,000 |
| Foundation for Individual Rights and Education Philadelphia, PA | To defend human rights and freedoms through legal means | $30,000 |
| Judicial Watch Inc Washington, DC | To defend human rights and freedoms through legal means | $30,000 |
| National Review Institute New York, NY | To Develop and Support Conservatism | $30,000 |
| The Federalist Society Washington, DC | To defend human rights and freedoms through legal means | $30,000 |
| Pacific Legal Foundation Sacramento, CA | To defend human rights and freedoms through legal means | $25,000 |
| Reason Foundation Los Angeles, CA | To defend human rights and freedoms through legal means | $25,000 |
| The Institute for Justice Arlington, VA | To defend human rights and freedoms through legal means | $25,000 |
| Arcadia High School Arcadia Festival of Bands Arcadia, CA | To Promote Education | $20,000 |
| USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation Arcadia, CA | To Promote Health Services | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Seaver Endowment?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,870,890 | $396,107 | $367,843 | $331,500 | 22 | $332,444 | $359,383 | $251,045 |
| 2023 | $3,842,626 | $155,110 | $410,604 | $370,750 | 29 | $374,987 | $122,012 | $246,558 |
| 2022 | $4,098,120 | $215,084 | $386,885 | $343,983 | 23 | $348,699 | $181,202 | $263,442 |
| 2021 | $4,269,921 | $352,925 | $291,307 | $243,500 | 20 | $247,569 | $309,622 | $268,629 |
| 2020 | $4,208,303 | $-72,179 | $297,164 | $262,250 | 23 | — | $31,322 | $235,805 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Seaver Endowment reported a distributable amount of $251K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for higher education and organizations whose stated purposes included defending human rights and freedoms through legal means, promoting education and health services, and supporting reading and general education.
Among its grantees, Pomona College describes its mission as educating students in a diverse residential community rooted in Southern California and globally oriented. Judicial Watch says it works to promote government integrity, transparency, accountability, and fidelity to the rule of law through advocacy, litigation, monitoring, and investigation. National Review Institute says it aims to expand understanding of conservative principles and philosophy in society and culture. Pacific Legal Foundation says it litigates nationwide to secure Americans’ rights.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $331,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $62,000; the median grant was $7,500. Notable grants included $62,000 to Pomona College, $30,000 each to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Education, Judicial Watch, National Review Institute, and the Federalist Society, and $25,000 each to Pacific Legal Foundation, Reason Foundation, and the Institute for Justice.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
R Carlton Seaver was listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
The Seaver Endowment is led by R. Carlton Seaver, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
R. Carlton Seaver
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Seaver Endowment
How much does The Seaver Endowment give each year?
The Seaver Endowment gave $332K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $371K across 29 grants.
What is The Seaver Endowment's typical grant size?
The Seaver Endowment's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $15,068, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Seaver Endowment that year got $14K on average.
Where does The Seaver Endowment give grants?
The Seaver Endowment gives mostly in California: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (18%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Arcadia, CA (3 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Claremont, CA (2 grants).
Does The Seaver Endowment give general operating support?
Yes: 14% of The Seaver Endowment's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "To Defend Human Rights and Freedoms Through Legal Means" (7 grants) and "To Support Public Media" (4 grants).
Who are The Seaver Endowment's largest grantees?
The Seaver Endowment's largest 2024 grantees include Pomona College ($62,000), Foundation for Individual Rights and Education ($30,000) and Judicial Watch Inc ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Seaver Endowment?
The Seaver Endowment reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $332K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $251K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Seaver Endowment fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for higher education and organizations whose stated purposes included defending human rights and freedoms through legal means, promoting education and health services, and supporting reading and general education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Seaver Endowment?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Seaver Endowment's EIN?
The Seaver Endowment's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6595504. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Seaver Endowment accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Seaver Endowment funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-seaver-endowment-morg_72cda169d7aa48bc951cdd0f665c0b8c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_206595504_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Seaver Endowment funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-seaver-endowment-morg_72cda169d7aa48bc951cdd0f665c0b8c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Seaver Endowment's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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